This invention is directed to an absorbent article, such as a pant-like absorbent article, that can accommodate one or two insults with a low probability of leakage.
Relatively thick absorbent composites are often used in disposable absorbent garments, such as diapers. However, in recent years it has become increasingly desirable to produce absorbent composites which are thin compared to the more traditional absorbent composites but which still possess absorbent capacity and leakage protection. In particular, when a child begins toilet training, the toilet training process may be hampered by the child's inability to discern the difference between diapers and training pants if the training pants are as thick and cumbersome as the diapers. If the training pants appear to be too diaper-like, the child may not be motivated to participate in the toilet training process. Thin absorbents provide for a greater garment-like appearance as well as improved discretion when worn under other garments. The desire to achieve a more grown-up appearance with a training pant having a thinner absorbent may motivate a child to participate in the toilet training process.
During the toilet training process, a child may be particularly motivated to become fully toilet-trained if his or her training pants hold only a limited amount of waste. More particularly, if a training pant is designed to absorb multiple insults, the child may not be as aware of having urinated and may not be as motivated to change his or her training pant immediately after the first insult. However, if a training pant is designed to hold only one or two insults, the child may be more likely to realize immediately after a first insult that a clean training pant should be applied in order to avoid any embarrassing leakage that would occur after multiple insults.
Leakage protection is very important in training pants designed to hold only one or two insults. If a training pant leaks after only one insult or at low volumes of urine, the child may become frustrated thus perceiving the act of changing the training pant as futile since the garment is destined to leak regardless of the number or amount of insults. Furthermore, leakage protection in a training pant having limited absorbent capacity benefits the wearer by providing a safeguard against embarrassing leakage after a first insult, and also benefits a caregiver by preventing extra work and stains in the wearer's clothing if the wearer informs the caregiver of the need to change the training pant after the first insult. If the wearer of a training pant having limited absorbent capacity and leakage protection exceeds the capacity of the pant by issuing multiple insults, the wearer not only experiences unavoidable leakage due to the excessive urine volume but also incurs disappointment from the caregiver, thus giving the training pant wearer an incentive to become toilet trained.
There is a need or desire for a low capacity disposable absorbent article that is capable of absorbing only one or two insults and preventing leakage of one or two insults.
There is a further need or desire for a toilet training garment that motivates a child to complete the toilet training process without discouraging the child.